Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Missional Engagement: It's All About Relationships Junius B. Dotson says that church outreach has generally taken the form of community service or evangelistic efforts. But real missional engagement entails the building of authentic, organic, and consistent relationships that lead to intentional discipleship.
The term missional engagement stands in deliberate contrast to our traditional understanding of outreach. Let me offer some distinctions. Outreach has traditionally taken two forms. It can be missional efforts. These are traditional helping ministries such as food and clothing drives, neighborhood clean-ups, and food pantries. There are some outreach efforts that are more evangelistic efforts. These include activities like attending a street festival and handing out invitations to church, or going to a park to pass out water bottles with the church’s information on it.
When engagement is authentic, organic, and consistent, we create the space necessary for people to share their faith. It’s not a program. It is an ethos that is deeply rooted in a congregation’s understanding of intentional discipleship.
I believe any outreach effort whose goal is simply inviting people to church or only providing ministry “for people” and not “with people” without regard to building relationships is shortsighted — it misses the point of intentional discipleship. Missional engagement entails the building of authentic, organic, and consistent relationships. Only relationships built on these three characteristics will lead to intentional discipleship.Authentic
Merriam-Webster defines authentic as “of undisputed origin; genuine.” Is our missional engagement with people genuine? Does it start from a good place? Does it have good origins? As we grow in our faith as disciples of Jesus, we should become more selfless, having greater concern and care for the world and the people around us. This care and concern should begin to manifest itself in our relationships. As we develop relationships with people outside of our churches, it is important that we check our motivations and make sure they are genuine. The more authentic and honest the encounter, the more effective we are in faith sharing.
Organic
As we engage with others and begin to build relationships, it must be organic — it cannot be forced. Think about organic as being something that takes on a life of its own naturally. A young pastor shared with me that he and his wife decided to turn off their cable in order to save money. This action left him without a place to watch football after church on Sundays, so naturally he started going to a local bar to watch the game. Over the course of several weeks, something unexpected happened. He became friends and developed relationships with many of the people he would see in the bar each week. Over time these encounters and conversations deepened and suddenly they were talking about Jesus and faith. These conversations resulted in several persons accepting Jesus as Savior and many of them beginning to show up and help out at his church.
Consistent
Any healthy relationship requires a consistent investment of time. Consistent means that our interaction is not transactional. We are not simply trying to get you to attend church. We have a real desire to know you as a person and are committed to being in relationship with you as our neighbor, even if you don’t attend our church. Consistent interaction can include a phone call, personal invitations to special events, or a simple acknowledgement that you have been prayed for by our church. You will be surprised by the number of neighbors who will become the biggest cheerleaders for the ministry of your church in the community even if they happen to attend another church.
When engagement is authentic, organic, and consistent, we create the space necessary for people to share their faith. Engagement is not a program, it is an ethos that is deeply rooted in a congregation’s understanding of intentional discipleship. This ethos can also fundamentally change the way a church approaches the planning of any activity or event. Consider an outreach event that your church does regularly. Examples might include an Easter egg hunt during the Lenten season, an annual clothing giveaway event, or a community yard/garage sale. How would the nature of that event change if it were planned to ensure that our encounter with people at the event was organic, authentic, and consistent? It could involve a team of people whose sole responsibility is to simply talk to people and listen to their stories. We cannot make disciples without first being in relationship with people!
Finally, consider how you might leverage technology in your ministry setting in order to increase connections and possible future relationships. How can we begin conversations and relationships through websites, social media, blogs, videos, and podcasts? How can we engage people outside of our church in positive ways which meet them where they are, recognizing and articulating some of their deep spiritual needs? Creating the space for conversations may lead to new relationships. But do not forget, technology does not replace authentic in-person relationships, but it may be a very good starting place. Discipleship begins with relationships — authentic, organic, and consistent.
This article is excerpted from Developing an Intentional Discipleship System: A Guide for Congregations by Junius Dotson, published by Discipleship Ministries. Used by permission. The guide is available as a free download at seeallthepeople.org.
Related Resources
- Organizing a Missional COMMUNITY by Doug Powe And Hal Knight
- Key Competencies for a Missional Congregation by Tom Berlin
- The Good Neighbor Church by Sue Nilson Kibbey
Helping Families Embrace the Importance of a Church FuneralSarah Dorrance describes the pastoral challenge of helping surviving family members who do not attend church to understand that a Christian funeral is appropriate for a deceased relative who was an active church member. In this situation, a church funeral honors the faith life of the departed saint and is an outreach to friends and family who may not have been in church for a long time, if ever.
In a post-Christian culture, fewer and fewer people understand a Christian funeral as both a celebration of life and a celebration of resurrection in and through Jesus Christ. Consequently, considerations of local custom or convenience often become more important than faith considerations to the surviving family members planning a funeral. For example, it is often the case that adult children with limited church connections or religious sensitivities make funeral plans for a parent who radiated a devotion to Christ. We also sometimes have adult family members who want to skip the funeral all together.
Decisions about funeral plans for someone who has lived a long and rich life of faith deserve to be based on more than immediate convenience.
Decisions about funeral plans for someone who has lived a long and rich life of faith deserve to be based on more than immediate convenience. One question I ask the family members is, “Your loved one was a faithful member of this church. How would you like to honor your loved one’s life?” In addition, sometimes having the funeral at the church can even save the family some money.A need for congregational education
This dilemma exposes a lack of leadership and education within the church. People would not think it strange at all for their religious leaders to share with them how even their funerals can bear witness to the faith they sought to live. This also opens the door to other topics such as cost, cremation, organ donation, memorial donations, and estate planning so that all the matters associated with death are consistent with a person’s faith and values.
Perhaps the most important guidance church leaders can provide for members is the opportunity to help pre-plan many of the components of their funeral worship. Providing guidance regarding options can help guide not only the pastor but also the family in the time after death.
Relationships with local funeral directors
A related issue is the church’s relationship with local funeral directors. If there is mutual respect and communication, it is more likely they will honor a pastor’s desire to be involved in the planning with the family from the beginning. The funeral director’s natural tendency may be to ensure that all events of the funeral, including the funeral itself, take place at the funeral home, or directly at the cemetery.
When the funeral is at the funeral home, there are still many opportunities for the continuing witness of the deceased. However, because the church is the site of key moments in life, a church funeral bears witness to the deceased’s faith through its symbols and design. The availability of hymnals or worship screens gives church leaders more influence over the content of the worship service.
Welcoming the stranger
Church funerals also give congregations an opportunity to “welcome the stranger,” in that many mourners may be in a church for the first time in a long time, if ever. This should be a reminder of how all our worship needs to reflect welcome, openness, and grace. If funeral worship is handled well, visitors may leave more open to faith than when they arrived.
Honoring our Saints
Recently we had a saint of the church pass away, and the family said that she had requested no funeral. This 90-year-old woman had mentored and encircled so many lives. We had an entire congregation grieving this great loss, and no way to gain closure since a funeral is also part of the grief process for those left behind.
I asked the family if we could have a time of sharing stories about their loved one’s life. They agreed. We invited people together to share stories of her life. The family even attended. Fifty other people attended, too! Those in attendance shared their stories. We were truly able to share this saint’s life. I offered prayers, read scripture, gave a commendation, and we sang “Amazing Grace” acapella at the end — everyone joined in the singing.
While it was not a funeral, it sure felt like a funeral to me. And, by the way, one of the people who attended told me, “I have not been to church in a long time. We just moved back into the area, I think I will come here next Sunday.” And that is what she did.
Related Resources
- Small Churches, Belonging, and the Harley-Davidson Funeral by Steve Willis
- Pay Attention to People Who Stay by Lovett H. Weems, Jr.
The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.
In his book on evangelism, New Wine, New Wineskins: How African American Congregations Can Reach New Generations, Lewis Center Director Doug Powe suggests that churches seeking to reach new people as themselves these questions:
- Are you merely a drive-in-for-Sunday-service-and Bible-study congregation?
- Is your congregation willing to create a space for those who are truly seeking a relationship with God?
- How consistent is your witness in the community?
New at the Lewis Center: Adult Education StudiesThe Lewis Center is the new home of the Wesley Ministry Network -- video-based ecumenical studies that encourage energetic discussion and personal reflection. Ideal for your congregation's small groups, adult Bible studies, and Sunday School classes, courses include lessons on DVD, Leader's Guides, Participant's Guides, and more.
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Follow "Take the Next Step" Events on Social MediaSeptember 28 and 29, Washington, DC
We'll be live tweeting the Take the Next Step events honoring Dr. Lovett H. Weems, Jr., and we invite you to follow along at #TakeTheNextStep on Twitter and Facebook. The celebratory dinner is tomorrow from 7-8:30 p.m. Eastern time, and the symposium is Friday from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Eastern. We encourage you to add your own posts and comments honoring Dr. Weems' many contributions in leading the church to greater fruitfulness.
Learn more about "Take the Next Step."
Quotable Leadership
I learned that disputes among the faithful, although usually fought with polite words, can be as acrimonious in their language as a street brawl. (Pauli Murray)
50 Ways to Increase Active EngagementStrong and growing congregations typically have a very high percentage of people who are actively involved in learning, serving, and leading. These 50 tips will help your congregation increase active engagement.
Strong and growing congregations typically have a very high percentage of people who are actively involved in learning, serving, and leading. These 50 tips will help your congregation increase active engagement.
Motivate
- Lift up lay involvement as Christian ministry, not volunteer work.
- Explain the rationale for church activities. Remind people why what they are doing is important. Connect service opportunities to the larger vision of the church.
- Communicate clearly the expectation of active participation when people join the church.
- Reinforce the expectation of participation regularly from the pulpit.
- Encourage persons to serve where they have gifts and passions. Make spiritual gifts assessments available and make use of the results.
- Help congregants understand the time they give to ministries as an expression of stewardship.
- Teach stewardship of time to counteract “busyness.” Just as with financial stewardship, persons need to make giving time to the church a priority, not an afterthought. Encourage “first fruits” commitments of time.
- Know that those who give the most time to the church also give the most financially.
Communicate
- Prepare a comprehensive listing of ministry opportunities with descriptions and contact
information. Keep it up to date. - Develop job descriptions for key roles. Keep them up to date.
- Create an attractive flyer or “one pager” for each ministry that tells its story and how to get connected.
- Lift up a different ministry in worship each week, celebrating its accomplishments and recognizing participants.
- Tell the story of what your church is doing together in ministry. Document activities with photos and journals. Encourage participants to share their testimony.
- Report the results of your ministries and lift up success stories.
- Have an information center that is a visible connection point for visitors and others who want to learn about ministries. Staff it on Sunday morning.
Organize
- Develop a system or data base for member participation. Record interests, skills, spiritual gifts, leadership roles, etc.
- Develop a leadership team for lay mobilization. In some churches, this takes the place of a traditional nominating committee.
- Start new ministry teams and groups often. Despite their best intentions, ongoing groups have a tendency to become cliquish. Newcomers are far more likely to feel comfortable joining something new.
- Review the schedule and format of church activities and events. Try new approaches that might appeal to those not yet active, for example weekday breakfasts, downtown lunch gatherings, weekend retreats, etc.
- Ask of every ministry: “Does it meet a need?” “Does it make Disciples?”
- Be mindful of the need to sunset ministries or groups that no longer serve their purpose. Don’t invest energy in trying to keep a dying program alive.
- Avoid pet projects that only involve a few people.
Connect
- Relationships are key. Most people serve because they are asked. Personal invitations are the most effective method of getting someone involved.
- Make worship a primary portal for involvement. Have a participation form in the worship bulletin every Sunday listing immediate opportunities to serve.
- Make getting started easy. Create easy entry points — short-term service opportunities requiring a minimal commitment. Allows people to jump in and get their feet wet.
- Have an intentional system that helps all new attendees and members become involved in groups and activities very soon after they start coming to church.
- Interview new members. Have them complete an interest survey.
- Avoid mentor, sponsor, or buddy programs for newcomers. Although commonly used, they are seldom effective.
- Work toward having each church member/attendee involved in at least one small group — Bible study, affinity group, or ministry team.
- Remember that choirs, service teams, and even administrative committees are also “small groups.” Train leaders to make these experiences spirituality formative, rather than exclusivelytask-oriented.
- Emphasize small group participation during Lent. Choose a Lenten study curriculum for use by all small groups in the church. Publicize this study opportunity widely and use the Lenten period to recruit new participants into the small groups.
- Link study group topics to sermon series.
- Assess whether “pen and paper” recruitment methods, such as time and talent surveys or pledge cards, are effective in your congregation or whether a more interactive approach is desirable.
- Use your annual stewardship campaign as a way of generating commitment to activities.
- Have a ministry fair or open house to connect people with groups and ministry teams.
- Organize a “Great Day of Service” and invite people to commit a single day to helping with ministry projects. Showcase your ongoing work. Encourage people to bring friends.
- Provide opportunities for families to be in ministry together, especially parents and children.
- Follow up with church members periodically — especially the less active — to take their pulse and ask, “How are things going?”
- Recognize that sometimes people need a break. Give permission to say “no” when necessary.
- Understand that Christian service occurs through vehicles other than church programs.
Empower people to serve beyond the church.
Equip and Affirm
- Provide training for ministry participants and leaders. Reinforce their role as ministers and servant leaders. Teach them to interpret and communicate their experiences through the lens of discipleship.
- Help leaders and participants appreciate how service in the church differs from responsibilities in secular settings.
- Conduct an annual retreat for leaders.
- Intentionally include newcomers in leadership.
- Reinforce the need for openness in leadership roles with a rotation system.
- Experienced leaders should be encouraged to recruit a co-leader and mentor that person.
- Encourage church members to think of their involvements in the context of their personal spiritual growth. Help them chart a deliberate plan for spiritual growth.
- Move away from the “committee“ mindset, to the more collaborative and interactive “ministry team“ mindset.
- Make time for affirmation and appreciation. Develop a systematic plan to publicly recognize all groups and ministries teams over the course of the year.
- Say “thank you“ often.
Download a PDF of this page to share with others.
Learn to Increase Active Engagement
What can you do when 20 percent of your congregation does 80 percent of the learning, serving, and leading? The Increasing Active Engagement Tool Kit includes videos, narrated presentations, outlines of key points, and supplementary materials to help you get and keep people involved and engaged. Learn more and watch introductory videos today.
Read now and download free.
Learn to Be a Better Clergy MentorClergy mentors indicate overwhelmingly that they need more training for their task. Mentees value mentoring but also indicate that their mentors need more resourcing for this important responsibility. Taking Clergy Mentoring to the Next Level is designed for clergy mentors who wish to prepare for a ministry of mentoring. Available in Group Training and Individual Study versions.
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Editor: Dr. Ann A. Michel
Copyright © 2004-2017 Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary
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